Which handheld EinScan 3D scanner is best for me?

We get asked this question a lot. That's why we are here to help.  It's not easy to choose a 3D scanner that needs to capture different sizes, surfaces, shapes and textures. It also depends on your budget.  The difference in price comes from different components such as the camera lens, projector, light source, and software complexity. 

Let's outline 4 important features you need to understand to decide which model would be most suited for your project.

1. Light Source - Structured Light Or Laser?

Structured Light 3D Scanners
​
Structured Light 3D scanners project a light pattterns onto the target object. The changes in the variance in the light patterns are tracked by the cameras and the software algorithm generates point clouds to capture the 3D surface.

The structured light pattern projection allows the 3D scanner to captuer a large dimension in seconds in high resolution. Structured light is not hazardous to eyesight. It best performs in an environment where the light condition is stable.

There are white light and blue light structured light 3D scanners.  Blue light has a narrower wavelength where as white light is a combination of all the colors in the visible spectrum. The narrow wavelength enables better filtering of the interference of ambient light thus offers better precision, accuracy and higher quality outputs.

---

Laser 3D Scanners

Laser scanner projects a laser point or beams onto the target object and the reflection of the laser light is captured with the sensors.

Laser light is less sensitive to environmental light and performs better in capturing shiny or dark surfaces.  However, very shiny or transparent surfaces are still difficult to capture by laser light.

2.  Accuracy and Resolution​

Accuracy

The accuracy gives an information about the authenticity of a 3D model to the real object. Knowing the accuracy of your scanner is very important because it determines which model is most suitable for quality inspection, reverse engineering design, medical health, or any other applications with very rigid accuracy requirements. Usually, the higher accuracy the scanner is able to generate, the more applications it could be suitable for, and of course, the higher the cost.

Remember though, not all 3D scanning projects require the highest accuracy, so consider your budget and requirements to make a decision on which model to purchase. The accuracy used in the specifications of the scanner usually refer to the accuracy of a single scan. The volumetric accuracy refers to the relationship between 3D data accuracy and object size; with EinScan Pro Series the accuracy is reduced by 0.3mm per meter. This data is based on measuring the center of sphere with marker alignment. The volumetric accuracy of EinScan HX in laser mode is 0.06 mm per meter.

---

Resolution

Resolution defines the point distance of the points within the point cloud the 3D scanner is capturing. The distance between two points in a 3D model is one of the most important factors for your scan. When you take a high resolution, the point distance is very small, and details are better to see on the scan. If you capture in low resolution, the point distance is big and big objects can be captured faster and the 3D scan data file size will be smaller.

With EinScan handheld 3D Scanners the Pro Series and the H series, the resolution can be changed depending on the object size to ensure the 3D scan data size is manageable. 

3.  Scan Speed

Scan speed is a specification that definese how long it takes to scan one given object. It especially matters when you are going to scan the human body, as people can not stay still for a long time, and it also helps to improve the work efficiency when you are 3D scanning large objects like cars, buildings, etc. Scan speed can be defined by the number of points collected per second, frames per second, or how many seconds it takes to do a single scan. The more points or frames collected per second, the faster the scan speed.

4. Desktop or Handheld

Desktop 3D scanners are provides higher accuracy and enables automation of the whole 3D scan process. The EinScan Pro series handheld 3D scanners can be turned into a desktop/fixed 3D scanners with the Industrial Kit.  For 3D scanning larger objects (like humans or cars), using the handheld 3D scanner is the only solution.

So which model shall I buy?

EinScan Pro 2X V2

$5,999.00

Shop

EinScan Pro HD

$7,699.00

Shop

EinScan H

$4,999.00 - $5,299.00

Shop

On Sale

On Sale

EinScan HX

$9,999.00 $7,999.00

Shop

• For smaller objects, definitely the  EinScan Pro 2X 2020 (white structured light) to achieve high resolution and high quality 3D modeling and design.
• For mid-large size objects and with higher accuracy and resolution either the EinScan Pro HD (white structured light) or the EinScan HX (laser & blue light).
• If you want versatility and also want to automate the 3D scanning workflow, go for the EinScan Pro HD with Industrial Kit. The new projection hardware and software algorithm allows the EinScan Pro HD to scan dark and casting metal surfaces.
• If you have very shiny or dark surfaces, go for the EinScan HX. The laser scanning mode guarantees outstanding accuracy and resolution.
• If you want to capture people or furniture with color texture, EinScan H (infrared & white light) is the way to go. It captures hair and also has a special body scan mode which facilitates data acquisition despite slight movements.

Here is a comparison at a glance.

Accuracy Comparison

In reality all of the above models have similar accuracies. 
EinScan Pro HD and EinScan Pro 2X 2020 both have the same accuracy of 0.045mm in Handheld HD mode, while it is 0.05mm for EinScan H in body and standard mode, and 0.04mm for EinScan HX in laser mode. So accuracy might not be a critical parameter for you to choose a proper device among EinScan series. If high accuracy is a top priority on your agenda, EinScan HX is the best choice among all EinScan scanners. 

Resolution Comparison

EinScan Pro Series (2X 2020 & HD) achieves a higher resolution compared to EinScan H series.  Resolution captured by EinScan Pro 2X 2020 is marginally higher than the Pro HD due to the single scan range being smaller.

​The EinScan H series have a different projecting pattern to the Pro Series thus the resolution is lower. But remember, the EinScan HX can achieve a higher accuracy vs. the Pro Series.

​Scan Speed Comparison

To compare the speed of scanners, two facts need to be considered: single scan range and the points captured per second.

For points captured per second, in Handheld Rapid mode, all scanners of the EinScan Pro Series come with the same speed of 1,500,000 points/s. However as the EinScan Pro HD has a larger single scan range, it can scan large objects at a faster speed. EinScan H (standard scan&body scan) and EinScan-HX (rapid scan) come with the same scan speed in terms of points captured per second and scan range, which are all faster than Pro series. In the face scan mode of EinScan-H, the maximum scan range could reach 780mmx 900mm enabling a fast scan.

Hope this answers many of the questions you may have had!

Call us if you have more questions!

---

Growshapes is an HP Silver Partner of HP 3D scanning solutions and the official U.S. distributor of Shining 3D EinScan 3D scanners. We are now carry the eviXscan 3D scanner from Evatronix as well!

​See the innovators on Growshapes’ social media channels to get the latest expert news on innovation in 3D digitization, then share your thoughts and join the conversation about 3D digital innovation with #digitize3D.